A new garden area (150 square feet)was prepared for planting. The steps are, remove the sod, hand spade, rototill the spaded chunks, add wood chip fibre, add compost, add sand. Coconut coir fibre will be added, when I find some and worked in. Later after the sod dries somewhat, it will be put through the chipper/shredder and placed back on the area and rototilled in with the sand.
http://www.durgan.org/URL/?FVHED 9 May 2012 Removing Sod
Often in a home garden it is necessary to remove sod for a garden bed and planting trees. It can be a tedious task. My method is to use a kick sod cutter which was purchased about 7 years ago, and put to good use. They can be rented, but when needed this can be inconvenient.
Operation is simple. The soil should be damp, better just after a very heavy rain.Wear heavy work boots. Under ideal conditions a kick will propel the cutter eight inches or more depending upon the wetness of the soil. In my case the sod is placed out to dry slightly and put through the chipper/shredder, and placed back on the area selected. The chipper/shredder completely kills all grass roots.
http://www.durgan.org/URL/?YOUPY 9 May 2012 Hand Spading
The area is hand spaded using as long blade tool. The soil is quite compacted under the sod, and rototilling alone is not sufficient. The area is nearly 26 feet by 6 feet, total of about 150 square feet.
http://www.durgan.org/URL/?SCSAO 9 May 2012 Rototilling spaded chunks of earth.
The large spaaded chunks were rototilled to break them up. Soil is loose to an approximate depth of 12 inches.
http://www.durgan.org/URL/?TTIRQ 9 May 2012 Adding fibre
Wood chips were added to increase fibre. Some urea (nitrogen) was added to replace any nitrogen lost in the chips decomposing.The chips were worked into the soil using the small Honda FG110 rototiller.
http://www.durgan.org/URL/?QSIPC 9 May 2012 Adding Compost
About a cubic yard of compost was added to the new bed (150 Square feet). This was worked into the soil using the small Honda FG110 rototiller.
http://www.durgan.org/URL/?CUWIU 9 May 2012 Adding Sand
Sand is added to my beds to inhibit the compost from coagulating, plus sand supports aeration, and moisture flow. It is nutrient neutral and lasts forever.The sand was rototilled in, picture not shown.
http://www.durgan.org/URL/?ZFRDI 10 May 2012 Shredding Sod
The sod was dried in he Sun for one day and put through the Chipper/Shredder and placed on the bed and rototilled in.The sod must be fed in small chunks to prevent jamming. If the sod is too dry much dust is created, so there is a happy medium gained by experience. The bed is now complete.